Oral care toothbrush

Abstract

An oral care implement having a handle and a head. The head may include a support structure formed of a rigid material and a monolithic cleaning block formed of a thermoplastic elastomer. The support structure may have a front surface and a recess formed therein, the recess extending partially through the support structure and terminating in a floor. The monolithic cleaning block may include an anchor portion disposed within the recess of the support structure, a base portion having a bottom surface overlying at least a portion of the front surface of the support structure, and a plurality of cleaning elements extending from a top surface of the base portion.

Claims

1. An oral care implement comprising: a handle and a head, the head comprising: a support structure formed of a rigid material and having a front surface and a recess formed into the front surface, the recess extending partially through the support structure and being defined by a floor, a curved transition region, and a wall, the transition region joining the floor to the wall, the wall extending from the transition region of the recess to the front surface of the support structure in a manner that is perpendicular to the floor of the recess; and a monolithic cleaning block formed of a thermoplastic elastomer and comprising an anchor portion disposed within the recess, a base portion having a bottom surface overlying at least a portion of the front surface of the support structure and a top surface, and a plurality of cleaning elements extending from the top surface of the base portion.

2. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of cleaning elements extends a first distance from the top surface of the base portion thereby forming a flat cleaning surface.

3. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein some of the cleaning elements are longer than others of the cleaning elements.

4. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the plurality of cleaning elements are arranged in a plurality of concentric rings.

5. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the plurality of cleaning elements are individual bristles extending in a spaced apart manner along a length and a width of the head.

6. The oral care implement of claim 5 wherein the bristles are tapered.

7. The oral care implement of claim 5 wherein each of the bristles has a cylindrical shape.

8. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the base portion of the monolithic cleaning block comprises a solid mass of material that extends continuously from the top surface of the base portion to the front surface of the support structure along an entirety of the front surface of the support structure.

9. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the bottom surface of the base portion of the monolithic cleaning block is in surface contact with the front surface of the support structure, and wherein the anchor portion of the monolithic cleaning block extends from the bottom surface of the base portion of the monolithic cleaning block and into the recess.

10. The oral care implement of claim 1 wherein the monolithic cleaning block further comprises an upstanding wall extending from the top surface of the base portion.

11. The oral care implement of claim 10 wherein the plurality of cleaning elements extend a greater distance from the top surface of the base portion than the upstanding wall.

12. An oral care implement comprising: a handle and a head, the head comprising: a support structure formed of a rigid material and having a front surface; and a monolithic cleaning block formed of a thermoplastic elastomer, the monolithic cleaning block comprising: a base portion having a bottom surface overlying the front surface of the support structure and a top surface; and a plurality of cleaning elements extending from the top surface of the base portion; and wherein the base portion comprises a solid mass of the thermoplastic elastomer extending continuously from the front surface of the support structure to the top surface of the base portion along an entirety of the front surface of the support structure; and wherein the plurality of cleaning elements have a first shape, and further comprising an upstanding wall extending from the top surface of the base portion and having a second shape that is different than the first shape, wherein the base portion, the plurality of cleaning elements, and the upstanding wall of the monolithic cleaning block are integrally formed from the thermoplastic elastomer.

13. The oral care implement of claim 12 wherein the plurality of cleaning elements extend from the top surface of the base portion in a spaced apart manner.

14. The oral care implement of claim 13 wherein each of the cleaning elements is a bristle.

15. The oral care implement of claim 14 wherein each of the bristles is tapered.

16. The oral care implement of claim 13 wherein the plurality of cleaning elements surround the upstanding wall.

17. The oral care implement of claim 12 wherein the cleaning elements have a cylindrical shape and the upstanding wall has a ring-like shape.

18. The oral care implement of claim 12 further comprising a recess formed into the front surface of the support structure, the recess extending partially through the support structure and terminating in a floor, and wherein the monolithic cleaning block further comprises an anchor portion extending from the bottom surface of the base portion and disposed within the recess.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an oral care toothbrush with a toothpick and a breath freshening, teeth cleaning gel capsule connected thereto in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the toothbrush shown in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the toothbrush shown in FIGS. 1-2;

(5) FIG. 4 is a fragmental, cross-sectional view of the head of an oral care toothbrush shown in accordance with this invention;

(6) FIGS. 5-6 are side elevational views of other forms of heads for an oral care toothbrush in accordance with this invention;

(7) FIG. 7 is a fragmental side elevational view showing a head detachably mounted to the handle in accordance with a further practice of this invention;

(8) FIG. 8 is a fragmental cross-sectional elevational view showing a vibrating toothbrush head in accordance with this invention;

(9) FIGS. 9-10 are fragmental front elevational views partly broken away of portions of a handle in accordance with yet another practice of this invention;

(10) FIG. 11 is a side elevational view partly in section of yet another toothbrush in accordance with this invention;

(11) FIGS. 12-13 are front elevational views showing various forms of toothbrushes in accordance with this invention in the packaged or display condition;

(12) FIG. 14 is a side view of a head of an embodiment of the invention with only portions of the cleaning elements shown in solid lines for purposes of focus and clarity;

(13) FIG. 15 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a toothbrush head of the invention; and

(14) FIG. 16 is a close up perspective front view of the head of FIG. 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(15) The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

(16) The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as lower, upper, horizontal, vertical, above, below, up, down, top, and bottom as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., horizontally, downwardly, upwardly, etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as attached, affixed, connected, coupled, interconnected, and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the exemplified embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.

(17) As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing each and every value that is within the range. Any value within the range can be selected as the terminus of the range. In addition, all references cited herein are hereby incorporated by referenced in their entireties. In the event of a conflict in a definition in the present disclosure and that of a cited reference, the present disclosure controls.

(18) FIGS. 1-4 illustrate one practice of the present invention wherein an oral care toothbrush 10 includes a head 12 and a handle 14. Head 12 may be a refill head and thus be removably connected to handle 14, or head 12 may be permanently connected to head 12 within the practice of the present invention.

(19) The majority of handle 14 and a portion of head 12 may be molded from a variety of rigid materials, including plastics, resins, etc., such as, for example, polypropylene. An end portion of handle 14, opposite the end head 12 is attached to an accessory, preferably a toothpick 16 formed of a resilient and soft thermoplastic elastomer. Toothpick 16 may be a refill and thus be removably connected to handle 14, or toothpick 16 may be permanently connected to handle 14 within the practice of the present invention. Toothpick 16 provides a mechanism for spot cleaning between teeth. Forming toothpick 16 of a soft elastomer provides more comfortable interproximal cleaning between teeth. Toothpick 16 could, however, be made of a stiff rigid material similar to the main portion of handle 14, or could simply be a rubber or elastomeric pick adhered or otherwise mounted to the end of handle 14.

(20) Portions 18 of handle 14 may also be formed of a resilient and soft thermoplastic elastomer. The thermoplastic elastomer which forms toothpick 16 and handle portions 18 may be a thermoplastic vulcanate (TPV) consisting of a mixture of polypropylene and EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomers) which is available as SANTOPRENE (brand), described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,796, or VYRAM (brand), another TPV consisting of a mixture of polypropylene and natural rubber. Both SANTOPRENE and VYRAM (brands) are elastomers marketed by Advanced Elastomer Systems. Other suitable elastomers include KRATON, a brand of styrene block copolymer (SBC) marketed by Shell, and DYNAFLEX G 2706 (brand), a thermoplastic elastomer marketed by GLS Corporation and which is made with KRATON (brand) polymer.

(21) Handle 14 may further include dimples, bumps, or ridges protruding from portions of its surface, and providing a decorative appearance to handle 14 and enhanced gripping of handle 14 during use of toothbrush 10. The dimples may be formed from the same material as soft elastomer portions 18 of handle 14 or from the same material as the majority of handle 14 (e.g., a rigid material such as polypropylene). All or part of handle 14 could be made of any suitable material, such as plastic, wood, metal or various natural materials which are biodegradable. Preferably handle 14 is made of a generally flat or oval shape rather than cylindrical in its gripping portion which would be between the spaced elastomer portions 18,18 to facilitate the gripping of the handle.

(22) As shown in FIG. 4 another portion of head 12, defining a bristle or cleaning element block 22 of head 12, may also be formed of a resilient and soft thermoplastic elastomer, such as the thermoplastic elastomer used to form handle portions 18. Cleaning block 22 may include one or more depressions 24 provided in a surface thereof with an opening 30 therein that provides a cushioning effect to a rupturable dispenser, preferably a gel capsule 32, contained therein, as described more fully below. Cleaning block 22 further includes a multitude of cleaning elements which could be conventional filament, preferably nylon, or elastomeric bristles or fingers 26 extending integrally outwardly from the outer surface of head 12. In the illustrated embodiment as best shown in FIG. 4, all of the cleaning elements 26 extend outwardly from the outer surface of block 22 the same distance so as to create a generally flat surface. Alternatively, however, some elements 26 may be shorter or longer than other elements 26. The variable length of the cleaning elements 26 is illustrated by the dotted out tips 26a in FIG. 14, with only body portions 26b of the cleaning elements 26 shown in solid lines for purposes of clarity and to focus on the variable nature of such elements.

(23) The term cleaning elements as used herein is intended to be used in a generic sense as cleaning elements or massage elements arranged in a circular cross-section shape or any type of desired shape, including straight portions or sinusoidal portions. It is to be understood that the specific illustration of the cleaning elements is merely for exemplary purposes. The invention can, however, be practiced with various combinations of the same or different configurations (such as stapled, in-mold tufting (IMT) bristle technology as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,609,890, 5,390,984, and 5,533,791, the disclosures of which being incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, etc.) and/or with the same or different bristle materials (such as nylon bristles, spiral bristles, rubber bristles, etc.). Similarly, while FIGS. 1-4 illustrate the cleaning elements 26 to be generally perpendicular to the outer surface of head 12, some or all of the cleaning elements 26 may be angled at various angles with respect to the outer surface of head 12. It is thereby possible to select the combination of configurations, materials and orientations to achieve specific intended results, such as enhanced cleaning, tooth polishing, breath freshening, tooth whitening and/or massaging of the gums.

(24) As stated above, the cleaning block 22, which is positioned in a recess in the head 12, may include one or more depressions 24 which are designed to receive and retain an oral care dispenser, such as a rupturable gel capsule 32 therein. In the exemplified embodiment, the depression 24 is formed into the front surface of the head 12 and has a floor 27. A floor of the recess is bounded by a curved transition region. A wall extends from the transition region to the front surface of the head 12 and is perpendicular to the floor of the recess. The one or more depressions 24 can be varied in size so as to accommodate not only varying size dispensers 32, but varying quantities of toothpowder, a toothpaste or tooth cleaning gel dentifrice or other oral care material, for delivery to the dentiture as the elements 26 extending from the block 22 are applied thereto, during use of the present invention such that the oral care material enhances the cleaning of the dentiture by the cleaning elements. While the present invention can be manufactured containing a packed toothpowder, toothpaste or tooth cleaning gel dentifrice and used repeatedly by the user refilling the dispenser with toothpowder, toothpaste or tooth cleaning gel dentifrice, it is preferably used with one or more gel capsules 32 contained therein. Most preferably the present invention is used with a single gel capsule 32, supplied therewith, so as to be most easily transported, used, and subsequently disposed of; however, it may also be used repeatedly with replaceable gel capsules 32, and then disposed of.

(25) It is preferred that the depression is in the form of a cushioned socket 28 sized and shaped to receive and retain the gel capsule 32, without premature rupture of the gel capsule 32 prior to use thereof during application of the bristle block 22 to the dentiture and brushing thereof. Cushioning socket 28 opening 30, and the material making up bristle block 22 provide a cushioning effect for gel capsule 32 to prevent gel capsule 32 from rupturing prior to use.

(26) Gel capsule 32 holds and applies a mouth care solution onto bristles 26 of toothbrush head 12. The mouth care solution may be a toothpaste, a gel, a mouthwash, or similar dentifrice or oral hygiene product, or a combination of the same contained in the rupturable capsule 32. Preferably gel capsule 32 is a liquid-filled gel capsule having frangible, thin walls that easily rupture or burst when rubbed against the teeth, or dissolve when mixed with the saliva of a user. The materials making up gel capsule 32 and the oral or mouth care solution contained therein preferably are consumable by the user of toothbrush 10, eliminating the need for water, a sink, or a waste receptacle to expectorate the gel capsule 32 or its contents. The mouth care solution remains in gel capsule 32 until toothbrush 10 is ready for use. Preferably, gel capsule 32 is fully sealed, helping the mouth care solution to remain fresh until use.

(27) In use, gel capsule 32 would be pressed against the teeth and burst or rupture or dissolve, applying the mouth care solution over cleaning elements 26. The user then may brush their teeth with toothbrush 10. The user may also use toothpick 16 to clean between teeth, either before or after brushing. After the user has used toothbrush 10, one may, but not necessarily, then easily and economically dispose of toothbrush 10.

(28) In one preferred aspect of the present invention, the entire structure of toothbrush 10, including head 12, handle 14, and toothpick 16, is molded as one integral structure, using a conventional two-component injection molding operation typically used in the manufacture of toothbrushes. This enables toothbrush 10 to be economically and quickly manufactured. Although toothbrush 10 may have a variety of sizes and dimensions, it is preferred that toothbrush 10 have a small profile, with head 12 being small enough to cover one tooth at a time and handle being thinner than conventional, everyday toothbrush handles. Toothbrush 10 is thus readily portable or space saving.

(29) The toothbrush 10 of the present invention provides many benefits, including the cosmetic benefits of brushing one's teeth in a form that can be used when one is away from home, and away from a water supply. The cosmetic benefits achieved by the toothbrush 10 of the present invention include the cleaning of debris between teeth with toothpick 16, broad tooth surface cleaning (particularly the front teeth) with cleaning elements 26 and the mouth care solution of gel capsule 32, and breath freshening with the mouth care solution of gel capsule 32.

(30) In addition to the cosmetic benefits, the toothbrush 10 of the present invention also provides economic benefits in the form of an inexpensive toothbrush that is both quickly and economically manufactured. Toothbrush 10 also provides a mechanism for maintaining oral health, without the need for toothpaste, water, mouth wash, and containers to hold the same. Thus, toothbrush 10 is also very convenient to use.

(31) Although FIGS. 1-4 illustrate a manually-operated, disposable toothbrush, the present invention may also be practiced where the head includes one or more power or electrically operated movable sections carrying cleaning elements. Such movable section may oscillate in a rotational manner or may oscillate linearly in a longitudinal direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the head or may oscillate linearly in a lateral or transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the head. The movable section may oscillate in and out in a direction toward and away from the outer surface of the head. The movable section may rock back and forth with respect to the outer surface of the head. The movable section may rotate continuously in the same direction, rather than oscillate. Any suitable drive mechanism may be used for imparting the desired motion to the movable section. Where plural movable sections are used, all of the movable sections may have the same type and direction of movement, or combinations of different movements may be used.

(32) In accordance with one aspect of this invention the cleaning elements may be in the form of bristles made from conventional materials, such as nylon, as well as from a combination of materials so as to provide the proper stiffness in an economical manner. For example, the cleaning elements could be made of a flexible resilient material, such as TPE and a lesser expensive material such as LLDPE (linear low density polyethylene) or EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) or a TPE. The cleaning elements could be made of a blend of TPE and either LLDPE, EVA, or polypropylene. Preferably, the two materials are combined to provide a stiffness of less than 600 MPa. The blend of materials would give the properties of conventional nylon bristles, while offering reduced costs. For example, there would be lower manufacturing costs by injection molding instead of conventional bristle tufting. Alternatively the resilient material could be a single material, such as hard TPE (i.e. Shore A 80 hardness), straight LLDPE or straight EVA.

(33) The cleaning elements may be of any desired shape. For example, the cleaning elements could be of cylindrical shape having a uniform diameter throughout their length. Alternatively, the cleaning elements could taper from the root of each cleaning element where it extends from head 22 to its outer cleaning end. Since a preferred practice of the invention is to provide a small lightweight toothbrush the dimensions of the various components of toothbrush 10 are preferably small. Thus, for example, each cleaning elements may extend outwardly from the outer surface of cleaning block 22 a distance no greater than 10 mm and preferably no greater than 8 mm and most preferably no greater than 6 mm. Where tapered cleaning elements are used the root diameter should be no greater than 1.5 mm, preferably no greater than 1 mm, most preferably no greater than 0.7 mm or no greater than 0.5 mm or no greater than 03.mm. The diameter could then decrease in size to no greater than 0.2 mm at a distance of no greater than 6 mm from the base of the cleaning element. The taper relationship of diameter at a distance location above the root diameter could be a range of no greater than 1 mm at a distance of no greater than 10 mm, preferably no greater than 0.6 mm at a distance of no greater than 8 mm, most preferably no greater than 0.2 mm at a distance of no greater than 6 mm. Preferably, the length of the entire toothbrush 10 is no greater than 5 inches, preferably no greater than 4 inches, and more preferably no greater than 3.75 or 3 or 2.50 inches, and may be in the range of 2 to 4 inches.

(34) As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4 the cleaning elements define a cleaning field in the head and the dispenser 32 is mounted within this cleaning field. The cleaning elements 26 preferably extend outwardly from the cleaning block 22 to be approximately flush with the outer surface of the gel bead or capsule 32, as shown in FIG. 4. The invention, however, can also be practiced where the cleaning elements extend either a greater distance or a lesser distance than the dispenser 32 as shown in FIG. 14. Since toothbrush 10 is intended to be both small and lightweight, it is preferred that toothbrush 10 weigh no more than 3 grams. The small size is such that it can be held completely within the palm of an adult user. Head 12 is of a size that it would correspond to the size of an individual tooth or an individual tooth and the interproximal areas. Head 12 could be made of any suitable shape and is preferably of circular or oval shape having a maximum lateral dimension or diameter of no greater than 13 mm, preferably no greater than 12 mm and most preferably no greater than 11 mm. Where head 12 is of non-circular shape its maximum lateral dimension is 14 mm.

(35) As shown in FIG. 2 head 12 is preferably at an angle between 0 and 90 to the longitudinal axis of handle 14. The preferred angle is from 20 to 70 and more preferably from 30 to 60. The cleaning elements could be perpendicular to the outer surface of head 12 or could also be at an angle to the outer surface such as in the range of 60 to 90 or in the range of 75 to 90.

(36) In one practice of the invention the cleaning elements could be hollow, such as hollow bristles, which are capable of absorbing a medicament by capillary action. Such practice of the invention would be particularly useful for children where a medicament or some form of flavor could be dispensed from the hollow cleaning elements. It is also possible to leach antibacterial material from the cleaning elements. In one practice of the invention where the cleaning elements are used to dispense oral care materials the cleaning elements themselves may be considered as the oral care dispensers without requiring additional dispensers such as capsule 32.

(37) Where specific parameters and characteristics have been given for cleaning elements, the invention could be practiced where other cleaning elements do not include those parameters and characteristics.

(38) FIGS. 5-6 show other variations in the practice of this invention wherein the cleaning elements are in the form of a single mass having an irregular outer surface. As shown in FIG. 5 the mass 34 is similar to that of steel wool as used in household cleaning or could be part of Velcro formations, such as hooks or loops.

(39) FIG. 6 shows a variation where the cleaning element 36 is of a single mass of foam for cotton which could be used as a swab for oral care material. The outer surface of the swab could be generally planar or could have surface irregularities. In such practice of the invention the cleaning element 36 could be impregnated with the oral care material or could be dipped into oral care material so as to absorb the material and thereby the cleaning element 36 would also function as the oral care dispenser. Such swab type cleaning elements are gentle for children, particularly infants.

(40) The invention could be practiced where the various components of the toothbrush 10 are segmented for manufacturing and assembly purposes. Such segmented components could also be detachably connected together so as to permit the interchangeability of the components thereby providing the possibility for the substitution of different components in the combination. Thus, the head 12 could be detachably connected to the handle 14. FIG. 7, for example, illustrates head 12 to be detachably mounted to handle 14 by a snap fitting 38 which may be of any suitable construction as is known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

(41) The concept of a detachable interconnection may also be used wherein the dispenser 32 is detachably mounted in the head 12 or wherein the oral care accessory, such as toothpick 16, is detachably mounted to handle 14. Thus, as later described with respect to FIGS. 12 and 13 the toothbrush and its various components could be packaged wherein the same package includes a plurality of toothbrushes and/or a plurality of different components such as heads, dispensers or accessories.

(42) FIG. 8 shows a further practice of the invention wherein a piezoelectric crystal 40 is provided in the handle 14 at the junction with head 12 so as to cause the head 12 to vibrate during use. Alternatively the head 12 could be mounted to a rotatable shaft extending from the handle and having an eccentric weight on the shaft to cause the head to vibrate.

(43) Although FIGS. 1-3 illustrate an oral care accessory 16 in the form of a toothpick, other types of accessories 42 could be used as schematically shown in FIG. 9. As illustrated therein such accessory 42 would be mounted to the end of handle 14 similar to the mounting of toothpick 16. Such mounting could be detachable or of a permanent nature. Examples of such oral care accessories include tongue cleaners, floss holders or an interproximal brush. Similarly, the accessory could be of a swab or foam type similar to the cleaning element 36 of FIG. 6 or could be of the single mass of roughened material such as the cleaning element 34 of FIG. 5.

(44) FIG. 10 shows another variation of the invention wherein the toothbrush is particularly adapted for use by children. Such use is enhanced by providing any suitable ornament or caricature 44 on the toothbrush, such as on the handle or on any other suitable location including the backside of the head. Such ornament 44 could be detachably mounted so that it could be kept by the child after the rest of the toothbrush is thrown away. Other aspects of the invention which make it desirable for use by children include the possibilities of dispensing various types of oral care materials including materials having special flavors, tooth numbing materials, anti-sensitive materials or various medicaments.

(45) The toothbrush could also be made of various colors for different parts of the toothbrush. For example, soft elastomer 18 could be made of a different, such as a contrasting, color with respect to the remainder of handle 14 which would be made of a rigid material. Similarly, the head 12 could be made of a different color than the rigid portion of the handle and/or the soft elastomer portions 18. The cleaning elements 26 could be made of distinct colors and the dispenser 32 could also be made of a distinct color. Along the same lines the accessory such as toothpick 16 or other accessory 42 could be made of a distinct color. These various colors could be contrasting or complementary with each other. Thus, for example, the various colors could differ only slightly in color or shade.

(46) FIG. 11 illustrates another practice of the invention wherein the handle 14 has a hollow chamber 46 in which the oral care material could be contained. Chamber 46 leads to a passageway 48 which extends to the head 12 such as terminating in a plurality of branches 49 at the outer surface of head 12 within the cleaning field. In order to dispense the oral care material located in the chamber or reservoir 46 handle 14 would have sufficient resiliency so that it can be squeezed thereby forcing the material from the handle to the head into a dispensing cavity or one or more dispensing openings.

(47) FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate a head 60 according to another embodiment of the invention, the head 60 having an outer surface 62, a plurality of cleaning elements 64 extending from a portion of the outer surface 62, and a raised socket 68 extending from another portion of the outer surface 62. The socket 68 is preferably formed from the same material as the outer surface 62, and is preferably integrally formed with the outer surface such as by molding or the like. The socket 68 extends outwardly relative to the outer surface 62 by an upstanding wall 69, and includes a seat to accommodate an oral care dispenser such as a bead or capsule 70 as discussed herein. The raised socket 68 positions the dispenser 70 closer to the edges of the cleaning elements 64 to facilitate contact between the dispenser 70 and the user's teeth and to encourage rupturing of the dispenser 70 early in the brushing process. The socket may also position the dispenser 70 beyond the cleaning elements 64 as discussed above, which would encourage even greater and immediate contact with the user's teeth.

(48) The cleaning elements 64 may comprise a variety of configurations as discussed above, such as a circular configuration as shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 16 illustrates an example of an oval configuration, wherein the cleaning elements 64 are arranged in a plurality of concentric rings 65a, 65b, 65c, surrounding the socket 68. One of such rings is a partial ring comprised of partial ring sections 65d, 65e defined along the upper and lower edges 61, 63 of the outer surface 62 of the head 60, which sections 65d, 65e comprise the equivalent of a so-called power tip that is designed to provide a cleaning edge that extends beyond the majority of the field of cleaning elements for increased efficacy.

(49) Any suitable oral care products could be dispensed from the dispenser. Such products include, but are not limited to the gel capsule 32 as previously described and could contain toothpaste, tooth powder or could be a small vial of mouthwash having a gel, a powder or a liquid. Such a vial could be separately included in a package containing the toothbrush. The materials could be flavored and could be provided in sets of different flavors and/or different characteristics such as medicaments, numbing materials, etc.

(50) Where the dispensers 32 are in the form of beads, different beads or capsules could be used with different colors/flavors to enhance consumer appeal. As described the capsule 32 could be an impregnated bead that burst. Suitable beads include those supplied by Mane Inc.

(51) Any suitable methods may be used for forming toothbrush 10 and its various components. For example, multi-component injection molding could be used to integrally couple various components such as the cleaning elements and the head and/or the handle. This could be done in an automated or multiple step process. The handle could be rotocast blow molded to form a hollow squeeze handle that would be usable in the embodiment shown in FIG. 11.

(52) FIGS. 12-13 show different manners of packaging toothbrushes in accordance with this invention. As shown in FIG. 12, for example, a single package 50 could contain a plurality of toothbrushes 10 all of which could be the same or could differ from each other. The package 50 could be of any conventional construction, such as a blister pack, which might include a hole 52 to permit the package to be hung for display purposes.

(53) FIG. 13 illustrates a variation wherein the package 54 includes one or more toothbrushes 10 and a plurality of other components 56 which could be accessories or dispensers or other components. The components could include a small vial of mouthwash. Preferably, the package 50 or 54 would be hermetically sealed to assure freshness. Such hermetic sealing is particularly desired to prevent moisture from reaching gel capsule 32 and causing the capsule to burst.

(54) As is apparent the present invention provides an oral care toothbrush which is preferably small in size and portable and can be conveniently used away from home under circumstances, such as travel, where water is not readily available.

(55) The invention could be practiced with a combination of various components which do not involve toothbrush usage. In that sense the invention is an oral care device or the like, rather than strictly being a toothbrush. Where used as a toothbrush or the like, the invention may have the advantages, because of the size and configuration, to allow discreet hygienic use, such as no fingers in the mouth, adapting it to be readily used in public areas.

(56) Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

(57) While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.